CDA approves Rs91.73m surplus budget for FY25

Sources say new budget will not rely on auction of plots

ISLAMABAD:

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) on Saturday approved a Rs91.73 billion budget for the financial year 2024-25, with a surplus budget of Rs145 million. The approval came during the 8th meeting of the CDA Board held under the chairmanship of CDA Chairman Muhammad Ali Randhawa.

It was informed in the meeting that for the first time in the CDA's history, the budget didn’t rely on the auction of plots. The Board approved the Rs91.73b revenue target and Rs91.58b expenditure estimate.

The Authority made it mandatory for houses, agriculture farms, and residential and commercial units larger than four kanals to install rainwater harvesting systems. CDA will provide assistance for the installation of rainwater harvesting systems for one year but will take action against those, who fail to install the system after one year.

The CDA Board also approved the construction of an orchard for overseas Pakistanis on 1,487 kanals of land and the construction of smart housing apartments for overseas Pakistanis in Sector E-11.

The Board further approved the hiring of consultants to resolve traffic issues at the Serena Chowk Highway/Sherwan Road intersection and the Jinnah Avenue/9th Avenue junction.

Furthermore, the hiring of third-party consultants to ensure high-quality work in all ongoing projects in Islamabad was also approved. Payments will not be made to contractors without third-party verification. CDA Chairman Randhawa warned that the consultant would have to face action if there was any deficiency in the quality of work despite the consultant's verification.

Furthermore, the Board approved the introduction of a health insurance policy for the institution's employees. Under this policy, CDA employees will be able to receive medical treatment not only at the CDA Hospital but also at various private hospitals in the city. The adoption of the Efficiency and Discipline Rules 2020 was approved during the meeting and it was decided that action would be taken against inquiry officers, who failed to complete inquiries within a month.